Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Since I've just been asked for my memories of my years in the Glee Club, I'm responding.I have so many wonderful memories that they overwhelm me. But by far the most outstanding one is of our Caribean tour in the spring of 1951. This was Barty's last tour. Fenno participated as a fellow member of the tenor section. During these past months when we've been recalling his tremendous contribution to choral singing, it's been a special joy for me to remember our friendship on that tour.The year 1951 provided a window that made our tour possible. After that it rapidly closed. Even then, when we sang in Havana and Santiago, we were well aware of the political changes ahead and the inequalities in society that were bringing them on. This was also true in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. But for us who soon would be leaving our college years and moving on to our careers in the world, we didn't give too much thought to political and social tensions. After a cold winter in grey, grimy New Haven, we basked in our lovely tropical surroundings, sang our best in our concerts, and had fun splashing under the sun in hotel pools. I especially remember a cockfight in Cuba, the drums of Haiti, and a glimpse of a Voodoo ritual there. Our receptions everywhere were outstanding, in particular at the presidential palaces in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.Coming back to Miami couldn't help but be a letdown. For people there we were just another college glee club - no longer ambassadors from the great neighbor to the north!

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NEW YGCA BLOG!

As the Yale Glee Club prepares for the Fall 2009 Academic year we are also excited to announce that we have selected a production company to begin work on a documentary celebrating our upcoming 150th anniversary in 2011.

Production has already begun, and we had a camera crew traveling with the Glee Club during our tour to South America earlier this summer. The documentary will explore the ways in which song can create strong and lasting connections between people. The Glee Club's 1941 tour to South America is one example. The group's performance impacted the community to the extent that it spawned a number of local choirs, speaking to "the power of song" as a unifying factor for people the world over.

The documentary will use significant milestones in the history of the organization to build upon this theme. The Producers have asked us to reach out to our alumni network for stories and events that occurred during your involvement with the YGC, and that exemplify the transformative power of song. Whether you were personally involved (i.e. the integration of women into the organization during the early 70's), or perhaps just remember hearing stories from Fenno or Barty, we want to hear from you.